Feeding the Ducks

While we were in Florida, we went to the park to feed the ducks. I don't think Madeline had seen a duck up close until then. It was so funny watching her watch them. She tried to follow them into the water a couple of times and seemed completely fascinated by them! It was so cute...it brought back so many memories I have of feeding the ducks with my Granny. I loved watching her with her grandparents! Madeline also got to swing, slide, and play while we were at the park! 

Christmas with Gannaw and Ganpaw

Since we knew we wouldn't see Terry's parents at Christmas this year, we let Madeline open her presents with them at Thanksgiving. She loved opening her presents! She got all kinds of goodies and plays with them all the time! From books to baby strollers to new clothes, she got it all! She is completely rotten! 

New clothes -- this is also the new facial expression she picked up while we were there! Cracks me up!

Sponge Bob Pajamas!

Madeline and Baby Emma

There is nothing sweeter than watching someone else love your  child. I think that is the beauty of grandparents! She loves them so much and I was so thankful she got to open her presents with them so they could see her sweet face. 

Halloween

No time like one week before Christmas to post Halloween pictures! I can't believe I got so far behind on blogging. :(

We went trick or treating with a couple of friends and their kids in our neighborhood. I have been around for 28 Halloweens and have NEVER seen anything like Halloween in our neighborhood. Apparently our neighborhood is one of the San Angelo trick or treating hot spots...there were hundreds of people. It was insane. I skipped school because my class didn't end until 7:15 and I was afraid it would be too dark and Madeline would be too tired to go if I went to class first. Well, it was a smart decision because I literally wouldn't have gotten back to my house if I had left. Anyway, we had a good time. Madeline carried her bucket like a big girl, and once or twice just sat down to "sort" her candy! It was so cute!!!

Disappointed...

I am feeling disappointment to the point that I feel the need to blog about it. I am so thankful that our troops are leaving Iraq, yet I am so saddened by our country's lack of support. I realize the end of this war and their return in no way compares to the persecution - yes I did use the correct word there -- that our poor men who fought in Vietnam faced. I am just disappointed that we don't have the same support for our military that we had after 9/11 nor the same pride in who we are as a nation. I feel like the lives of over 4,500 Americans are not being recognized as heroic, as they were lost in this war. War is never pretty, but if you are thankful to be able to go to the church of your choice or to not go to church at all, then you have the obligation to be supportive of the men and women who give you that freedom.

Let me make this personal for a second. First and foremost my husband fought in this war for 9 long months. I wouldn't hear from hear for days and sometimes weeks at a time while he was deployed. He had to go "outside the wire" several times while he was there, and when he was one the phone with me during the New Year in Iraq, all I could hear was gunshots and someone over a loud speaker yelling for them to take cover as our call was disconnected. I didn't hear from him until 2 days later. Thank God he came home with no physical injuries. My cousin is still in rehab for his injuries, including the loss of both of his legs, he sustained almost a year ago. My brother-in-law deployed more than once and lost one of his very best friends in this war. My dad did the funeral for a 24 year old father who died in this war. A good friend's bother had his feet amputated, among other injuries. This war changed people's lives in huge ways. More than likely, you know someone who's life has been forever changed by this war. Even the men and women who come home safe physically will bear the mental and emotional scars of this war for their entire lives.

I am so thankful for our military, the everyday sacrifices they make, as well as the life altering ones. So if you see a member of our military, shake their hand, thank them out loud (more than likely they have deployed to fight this forgotten war), buy them a drink or a meal, just let them know you appreciate them. Most importantly, pray for our men and women who are still in Afghanistan. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox news may have forgotten them but their spouses, children, and families certainly have not.

PS this is not a plug for Terry to get free food :) :) :) 

11 Months

I totally missed 10 months and since Madeline's one year birthday is in two weeks I figured I better get working on her 11 month post! :)

Madeline,

You are 11 months old!! (plus 2 weeks...eek!) You are about 20lbs...not sure how tall you are but your size 12 month jeans are pushing the highwater line! You still wear a size 4 shoe and size 3 diapers. You wear mostly size 12months clothes but your pajamas with feet are all 18 months because you are so long! They're a little long but the size 12 doesn't come close to fitting! You still sleep all night and take 2-3 naps during the day! 

You are into EVERYTHING! I feel like I say this every month and you  continue to prove to me how much more of a handful you can be...You love "organizing" the tupperware!

You LOVE animals...when we visited Gannaw and Ganpaw, you LOVED their cats. The cats weren't quite as fond of you. You have yet to meet an animal that doesn't make you squeal with delight! Wonder where you get that??  

You LOVE to play outside. You especially love the park and are getting to where you can play on some of the equipment. I love it too! 

You are still taking about 3-4 bottles a day. I am pretty certain our biggest struggle will be getting you off the bottle. Thankfully, we don't have to do it just yet because you really love your bottle. I gave you cow's milk and you love it! You are finishing up the last can of formula and then you'll be only on cow's milk! Yea!!! You still love cheese in any form -- macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, quesadillas, string cheese, sliced cheese...you get the idea. You also haven't met a fruit that you don't like. You really love strawberries, peaches, and bananas. You eat three meals a day and two snacks. You also found a new love this month -- nutri-grain bars! 

You have been trying to climb for a while now but you are just now becoming successful. You can climb on and off the futon, off the couch, and just figured out how to climb onto your bouncy seat and then up onto the entertainment center to touch the TV...oh man! 

You are running now...you especially love to run from me when you see a diaper come out or an outfit. You HATE getting your diaper changed and you HATE getting dressed. It is my least favorite thing to do for you...you usually end up upside down and turned around by the time we finish getting you ready to go somewhere!  It is also becoming increasingly difficult to get a good picture of your face since you like to run from us now! 

I am loving your facial expressions. You make your face into an "O" when you see something new that excites you and you point to it making the "oh" sound. SO cute! You also make the turtle face now when I ask for a kiss...I kinda think you know what kiss is because you used to give me the open mouth ones, but since you know how to do a turtle face now, you give me that instead and then laugh. You already have such a funny sense of humor! 

You got your first baby doll and you love her. You play with her a lot, but when you are down you tend to throw her on the ground. Sometimes you bang her on stuff. Her name is Emma, and I bet you two are going to make lots of memories together! 

You are just silly right now. Everything is funny to you, and you are consistently entertaining Daddy and me. We love your little laugh! 

You really enjoy helping me load and unload the dishwasher. You especially love knives...you wear me out! 

You eat almost every meal in the nude because you were ruining clothes faster than I could afford to buy them. You haven't left a bib on since you were about 5 months old so that didn't work either so now you just eat naked...unless we are in public! 

Your favorite toys right now are anything in the shape of a ball. You love balls and balloons! You also really love peek-a-boo and hide and seek. You love it when I jump out and surprise/scare you! You crack up laughing. My favorite time of day is right before bed when Daddy and I play with you in your room and you just soak it all in.

I could never tell you how you have changed our lives. Your Daddy and I can't remember what we did before you came along, what we talked about, or where our money went! ;) We love you SO much!!! You are truly a gift from God, and we are so grateful He chose us to be your parents. We love you sweet girl!!!

Secret Sunday

This isn't much of a secret anymore...well, not to Terry at least. I have this dishonest exaggerating quality where when I spend money I round down. For example, when Terry asks me how much my $23 shirt is, I will say, $20. Surely I am not the only woman on the planet who does this though...